Standardized patient encounters are being utilized more often in occupational therapy education as a replacement for traditional fieldwork. While there is a growing body of research to support the use of this model in developing student skillsets and confidence, there remains limited information on the topic, and no studies which look at its use…

Fieldwork (FW) education is integral to occupational therapy (OT) education and enables the transition of a student to an entry-level practitioner. Clinicians who serve as FW educators play a significant role in this process. To deliver OT education, universities must support FW educators and address their needs and concerns. This study surveyed…

This applied dissertation was designed to investigate student responses to three different instructional strategies used to fulfill level I fieldwork requirements: traditional in-clinic rotation, a combination of virtual simulation and traditional in-clinic rotations, and virtual simulation. A multi-decade occupational therapy (OT) fieldwork…

Clinical experience is an essential element of any educator preparation program. These experiences provide authentic, real-world learning environments for teacher candidates to practice and improve their instructional skills. Analyzing how clinical experiences impact teacher readiness assists in the development of effective educator preparation…

This study explored the perceived level of preparedness of occupational therapy (OT) graduate students for entering Level II fieldwork after completing nontraditional, traditional, and mixed Level I fieldwork experiences. This mixed-methods exploratory study included an online 22-question survey that was delivered to Occupational Therapy Doctoral…

According to Duncan (1971), counselor educators who do not prioritize counseling practice may experience challenges in their teaching. For Duncan (1971), maintaining counseling practice "helps to keep the counselor educator alive to real-life counseling situations" (p. 157) and is beneficial to draw from in their teaching practices.…

Shifts in the healthcare environment, particularly the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, have resulted in the cancelation of most Level I experiential learning opportunities for occupational therapy students limiting required hands-on learning experiences and impacting the required academic content for graduation for…

In this qualitative study, we consider student experiences with and perceptions of teaching methods that are clinical skill-based (e.g., simulation role plays). Focus groups included Master of Social Work students (N = 40) from six universities in the United States. A framework-guided content analysis was used and revealed four discussion areas:…

Simulation has been recognized for its ability to develop competency-level skills and as a replacement for some introductory fieldwork (FW) hours. This study explored how occupational therapy competency-related skills developed over sequential in-person simulations across health practice contexts during Level 1 FW. Entry-to-practice occupational…

Fieldwork education is a critical component in occupational therapy education, aiding in the transition from classroom learning to practical application. It has been cited recently that therapists have expressed concern regarding student preparedness for fieldwork in a hand therapy setting. Hand therapy is a specialty practice area where…

The purpose of this study was to explore the influence fieldwork educator support has on stress, burnout, and self-efficacy, and examine how both students and fieldwork educators support student psychosocial well-being and protective factors during Level II fieldwork (FWII). An explanatory sequential mixed method design was used, including a…

Fieldwork education is the practical application of an occupational therapy education. Level I fieldwork is an important component that introduces students to the clinical setting for basic understanding of client interactions. Quality fieldwork programs in occupational therapy are more difficult to procure than ever before due to critical…

Rapid Cycle Quality Improvement (RCQI) is often required for behavioral health work force training and evaluation projects supported by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The RCQI process is well established within healthcare but under-utilized in academia to improve teaching and learning. We created and piloted the…

This non-experimental descriptive survey study examined the relationship between occupational therapy (OT) graduate students', recent graduates', and educators' values of the regional and specific anatomy knowledge required for OT clinical practice. The researcher collected survey data from 94 OT graduate students, recent graduates, and educators…

In field placements, preservice music teachers (PMTs) rarely have the opportunity to communicate one-to-one with parents/caregivers. Situated within a clinical environment, this study examines how PMTs engage with a concerned mother whose daughter did not have a successful audition for a school musical. We approach this inquiry from a unique…